FeistyUpper If you don't like this, we can't be friends.

RipDelight This is a tender, generous movie that likes its characters and presents them as real people, full of flaws and strengths.

Hayden Kane There is, somehow, an interesting story here, as well as some good acting. There are also some good scenes

Philippa All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

castlekc4 So good..... Jones and Goodman are amazing.... the only downside is sarsgard and Macdonald.... the movie would've been just as great without their flighty characters...

Ric-7 The major problem was the script, which was all over the place. Maybe editing would have helped, but I don't think that skillful editing would fix a fundamental script problem. What was the point? Which plot was the main plot? There were so many things going on: a 1965 racial murder, a current murder of a prostitute, alcoholics, and a film being made about the Civil War. I think that there was one character who was involved in both murders, and I finally realized that Peter Sarsgaard was playing Gen. Hood in the film being made.If this was supposed to be a mystery, there were too many distractions along the way as clues were being dispensed.The character of "the real" Gen. Hood and his interaction with Dave was awkward and sometimes confusing (i.e., the church scene).I think all of the "major" cast members did a fine job, though most were underutilized. Mary Steenburgen was way too good for the very little she was given to do. Ditto Ned Beatty. John Goodman was great at slimy menace, but his involvement in the plot was almost unnecessary.I believe that many of the local cast members could have been much, much better had they been told exactly what information they were supposed to be saying, and then be allowed to improvise. Perhaps this is a failure of direction rather than writing. In the film, too many characters sounded like they were reciting. It's true that they were not skilled actors, but local amateurs don't need to sound artificial, c.f., Beasts of the Southern Wild.Here are a few personal notes. The film was released in 2009, and I was not aware of it until today. I was born and raised in New Iberia, where the film is set (and where it was filmed), and the rest of my life has been spent in New Orleans. This film is probably the most extensive and best cinematic use of locations in Cajun Country. I could not pick out any scene which appeared to have been filmed on a sound stage. The film seems like a missed opportunity. I don't think the film had any significant pre-video release in the United States, and unfortunately, I can see why.

tom_veatch When I watched the movie, I didn't see real, believable people. I saw actors reading a script. The only thing good I can say is the wooden character portrayals may have been a little better than the atrocious writing. But not a lot.I guess there is one thing good I can say. I was born and raised close to that part of the country and felt at home with the scenery and cinematography, as well as the speech patterns of a few of the minor actors. But I'd expect the major characters, who are supposed to be native to the area would have assimilated a little of the flavor of South Louisiana. Nope. They might as well have been wandering around Chicago or Los Angeles for the past 40+ years instead of the swamps and bayous of South Louisiana.I've seen Tommy Lee Jones in much, much better material.

ctomvelu1 Jones picks up where Alec Baldwin left off, playing James Lee Burke's Louisiana-based detective Dave Robicheaux. This time around, Robicheaux is hot on the trial of a killer of hookers as well as the killer of a black man decades ago. He soon comes to believes the deaths are linked, and is guided along the way by a long-dead Confederate officer (Helm). He also is aided by a female FBI agent. The entire cast, which also includes John Goodman as one of the bad guys and Mary Steenbergen as Robicheaux's wife, is excellent. However, this is not your typical slam-bang whodunit but more of a character study. Shot on location, post-Hurricane Katrina, it absolutely oozes atmosphere and a sense of authenticity. It is for the most part very low-key. I understand there were post-production problems, and it shows in the choppy editing. Stil, worth a look.